UK Dub Files: Jah Tubby's

Dixie Peach: Bless up all nation, my name is Dixie Peach. Yeah, I'm here right now in Belgium with the rest of the crew and I have a man here who say him gonna aks some questions, so fire away!

First of all, where did it all start for Jah Tubby's and when did each one of you get involved?
Dixie Peach: This is one of the original man here who could go back, maybe a little before I came on the scene. Stamina as one of the original Tubby's men, you know.

Stamina: Yeah, true true! Greetings and welcome to each and everybody still! My first time with Jah Tubby's would have been, bwooy, back ina the eighties still, and now, you know, him still go strong.

Dixie Peach: Well, he has been going on from the seventies. Back in the days I had my own sound called Young Lion and we played against Jah Tubby's. In them days the mic man of Jah Tubby's was Aba Shanti, who was known then as Jasmin Joe. (laughs) I don't think he likes that now, because he's a big man now, but that was the name then for him. As you know he's Aba Shanti now, but he comes from the Jah Tubby army.

Can u say why he went his own way?
Well, I mean, he's got a brilliant mentor there with Jah Tubby's, and I think that Tubby's kind a laid back a little bit, you know. He stopped for a while to maybe concentrate on other things, and Joe just carried it on, and then basically came along Aba Shanti. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that. He has done well, and I'm kind a proud he's done what he's done, you understand. Yeah, good luck on him.

Gregory, can you introduce yourself?
Gregory Fabulous: Greetings massive, this is Gregory Fabulous, yeah, boom bam bim! Yeah man, Jah Tubby's something! We're live ina Belgium, seen! Boom bam! Fire away, wha ya say? New kid on the block, 'memba dat! Seen! Lyrics non stop! Boobap! (laughs)

When did you join Jah Tubby's?
Well, I came down with my friend and colleague here, Dixie Peach, one sunny afternoon in 2003, I think. There were some riddim tracks going around which were going to be vocalled, and as I knew Dixie Peach fron a longer time, he introduced me into the pack, and from there, it just carried on, you know. In 2003 I recorded a tune called 'Moving to Zion' which was came out on the Jah Tubby's label, and from there we've been making records and been going various places and entertaining the people as Jah Tubby's, the World Sytem. It's been going on for a long time, as you know we're here now on a 40th anniversary tour. It's 40 years in the business, which is a lot of years, and you see, this is where it evolved to now. A so it go, you know. I was a little boy when them began with that, so I've just grown and evolved and come, reached into the circuit in 2003, and yes, we proceeded to do a lot of great things, you know. Great colleagues around and everything is criss.

Dixie Peach: Then, you know, Tubby's came along with a record label in the eighties, the Y&D label.

Can you tell me what the letters stand for?
(laughs) Well, I would have to ask permission for that, because I do know what it is, but we can't say. You just got to stick with the Y&D, yeah. As you know, my first tune on the Jah Tubby's label was Pure Worries. That was in 1984, and I haven't stopped since.

Was that the moment for you to decide to leave your own sound and join Jah Tubby's?
Well, I more concentrated on my singing then, you know. I kind a left my sound to carry on with that, and that's when I became a member of Jah Tubby's.

Can somebody maybe tell where the name Jah Tubby's come from? Has it something to do with King Tubby's?
That's another thing, I can't answer that! The man himself could answer that, but as you know, he doesn't do interviews. So, I could just presume that, yeah.

Can u tell is then why it is called the World System?
Well, it ís the World System! We got pre amps and amplifiers all around the world, you understand. I mean, we travel around the world, and as you can see, we are on our 40th anniversary world tour. It's not just a tour, it's a world tour!

Back in the eighties, Jah Tubby's was known for locking off other sound systems by playing much louder. In those days, there was some kind of clash atmosphere. Can you explain how that was in the beginning, and how the vibe changed to what it is now?
Gregory Fabulous: I could say a thing to that! Back in the days, reggae music used to be more of that, you know. It was like everybody showing how great they were and how great their sound system was. It was musical clash at the time, but it was about the sound system: who is the heaviest sound. So certain times it got heated and two sounds wanted to play at the same time and then the one with the most dominant sound conquered. The other one just had to quite off, because he cyaan't play like that sound!

Dixie Peach: And the tunes! We played a lot of tunes from Jamaica back in the days. Jah Tubby's was flying to Jamaica, go and cut his dubs with King Tubby's and do what he's doing, and come back, so..

There you reveal something about the name, no?
Well, you could presume and think what you want, you know. I didn't say that, you understand. I can't tell you about that, only one man could tell you that…

Gregory Fabulous: I could say there's probably an inspiration from the great King Tubby. King Tubby was a great producer, rest his soul in peace, yeah...
Dixie Peach: ... and a sound system!
Gregory Fabulous: He was one of the original producers who kind of pioneered this dub mixing with reverb on music, the one who lick echo off of rhythm and them things deh.

Dixie Peach: But this doesn't mean he has told you anything about Jah Tubby's. That's just what's hé is saying. (laughs)
Gregory Fabulous: Inspiration! A lot of reggae and all that was inspired by these guys who were in Jamaica.
Dixie Peach: Yeah! Joe Gibbs, King Tubby's, Bunny Lee,…
Gregory Fabulous: These were the guys who were making reggae music. These were the prominent producers. You had Yabby You, and a whole heap of dem, from back to even Scratch Perry, and all those guys. Sly and Robbie, you had Roots Radics, you know, a lot of people! That's how it go, you know. History!

Dixie Peach: Anyway, back to the eighties with the Y&D label. The first label that came out was the Jah Tubby's label, and then we came with the Y&D, so we had the two of them running. Then basically what happened: we signed artists like Eroll Bellot, who was there before even me. Wayne Marshall, then came on Little Clarkie, Colonel Mite, Sugar Dee, Gatman, … I've got to mention them all because they're all part of this history, you understand. There was a little thing going on in the eighties between Y&D and the Fashion Record label, because they were the South Side. You know we were dominant, we were dominating anything in the eighties, but still, we changed back the label to Jah Tubby's, with a new design, and then we got a deal with Greensleeves to distribute our tunes, and that's when everything's been going mad, you understand. Things were just getting crazy in them days deh, yeah.

It probably wasn't evident for the man himself to start with a sound system as a white man back in the days. Do you remember something about that?
 All I can say about that, he was a very brave man, he had a vision, he had a dream. He does love the music, you know what I mean, so what more can I say?

Gregory Fabulous: I would say it was an advantage point for him as well, because it was a novelty to see a white man playing a sound system or playing reggae.
Dixie Peach: Yeah, he did look funny!
Gregory Fabulous: So you found a lot of the youths them say "Oh, white man can't play reggae! Weh him get reggae tunes? Watch this, him go play reggae!" That kind of helped him, like you've other deejays back in England like David Rodigan and Tim Westwood.

Dixie Peach: Jah Tubby's came in and played against sounds like Shaka, Coxsone, Young Lion, Fatman, ... You name the big sounds from back in the days, he played them all! He just had something about him, that sound was great, and he got tunes…
Gregory Fabulous: … for a white man with a sound system!
Dixie Peach: I could witness that, because he played against my sound and nearly killed us!

So you came over?
No! The funniest thing is. I met Jah Tubby's before I even recorded with him, way in the seventies, but we met on a vibe where we never knew each other, because we were in the same bloody place, you understand, and look where I am with him today!

Over the years, a lot of things have changed in the scene...
Gregory Fabulous: I'd say something, Gregory Fabulous a talk a thing! I think reggae music's changed and it's evolved into a few different things, because you see, back in the days, you found more of the righteous, conscious music, or even if a man was singing about lover's rock, it would be still righteous and conscious. That was more of the mainstream reggae. Now you got all kind of different things: you got dancehall, bashment, dubstep, … It's all broken into different things.

What is your opinion about dubstep? That's some kind of different music, no?
My opinion: I don't really understand it, because reggae music for me, it's about the message which comes from the music, so if a music just kind of "wobble wobble", that is not actually meaning anything! So, it doesn't even inspire me as a person who likes to talk on the mic or sing, to even find a lyrics to put on that, because there isn't no space for it. They're taking away the realness from the real instruments, because it's more about technical music, more than ... music. Nowadays it's not musicians who are doing things, but it's technicians! It's two different things. With our thing what we do, we're trying to hang on something with a bit of both, because we still have to mention what is the message.

Dixie Peach: And it's heard!
Gregory Fabulous: The message has to go always out, you know. In the beginning was the word, yeah, first and foremost, because we know already, as you know and I know, how much things goes on around the world. The message got to be there, because the message is to liberate people. People come to dances, spend their money, and they come in there to hear music and to take away their mind from the troubles that they have, yeah.

Dixie Peach: We are living in a time now that we need the messages. The people need messages in this time, because time is not good right now, you know. This is like we are living through an armegideon right now, this is not good. Nuff people are suffering, you understand, and if the only thing they got to hang on to is men like me and Gregory Fabulous and Stamina to spread our messages to give them little hope, that's what we got to do!

Gregory Fabulous: Yeah, many times me a sing to people, me hungry and my belly is burning me, hear what me a tell you, and we still haffi get there, smile and perform. Everybody's burdens rest on my shoulders now, because I've got to sing that tune as the record what they've heard.
Dixie Peach: It's a tough job!
Gregory Fabulous: It's a job, and it's a responsability for each and every one of us, you know, because it is people you are talking your opinions too. We give a message of love and unity, you know.

What place does Rastafari have in your lives?
Dixie Peach: For me it's a way of life, you know. I've been living this life for many years now, and it just gives me a meditation and inspiration. I have something to look up to and believe in, you understand. I give thanks for that!

Gregory Fabulous: For me on that question... This is my life, Rastafari is my life. We have a mission out there fi do, and we have something to show the people, for all those people who are less fortunate and can't open their mouth, or are afraid to open their mouth. Rasta would open their mouth and reveal it, straight, without no apology, without no sympathy, without no nothing… Straight fire blaze, seen! And the reason why is because there has been too much injustice, there's been too much this and that. I'm not really working on a belief system, I'm working on a way of life. We see what a gwaan and our eyes are open, and if you come to I with love, you will get love in abundance, but if you come to I with hate, we will rebuke you, we will run you, and fire bun you, straight! That a Rasta a tell you!

Dixie Peach: Ah me mek Jah Jah Army, you know! (laughs)
Gregory Fabulous: Yeah, Selassie the first!

A strong message to end! Thank you guys for the interview, I'm looking forward to a great show!
Dixie Peach: Nuff respect!
Gregory Fabulous: Respect, man!
Stamina: Irie!